“And you want to do something nice for me?”
“Sure.”
“Why?” he asks again, still skeptical.
I throw my hands up in the air. “For fuck’s sake! I give up. I’ll have him in the training arena at four. Come. Don’t come. I don’t give a damn.”
Tripp’s shoulders shake at my outburst, and Wes smirks at me as he cocks his head to the side. “Don’t worry, Red. I’ll come.”
“Oh, yeah. Wes would never pass up an opportunity to come,” Tripp says.
My eyes roll at the way he says it, his tone ringing with innuendo. Tripp can’t hold it in anymore and lets out a bark of laughter.
“It’s always so disappointing when the men still have the humor of twelve-year-olds,” I quip, my expression settling into an unimpressed mask.
Their smiles fall, and I bite back a smile. My work done, I turn on the heel of my cowgirl boots, giving them both a middle finger as I stalk off.
Eau de Horse
Wes
After two weeks in Cottonwood Creek, I’m starting to feel the rhythm of the place again. Not much has changed since my summers spent out here, and it’s a comforting feeling, as if this place exists outside of time and space. It’s a constant.
Dad’s given me my marching orders. Get the ranch ready to sell and convince Pops that’s what needs to happen in the meantime. There’s so much maintenance I need to do before my eight-week stint at Dawson Ranch is up that I’ve been kept busy all day.
Once four o’clock hits, I finally climb into the blue Chevy to head over to Sawyer’s, excitement coursing through my veins at the thought of getting to spend some more time with the horses.
The old truck smells like dust and leather, a scent that I’ve always associated with Pops, but now that this is my primary vehicle, it’s rubbingoff on me, too. Wearing the expensive cologne Hannah bought me to go tend the cattle hardly seemed necessary anymore. No matter what I put on in the morning, I come home smelling like sweat, dirt, and manure, so I'd tossed it in the trash. One less thing to remind me of that epic failure.
I pull up Sawyer’s gravel driveway and park, easing my door closed in case she’s already on top of the horse.
It’s a gorgeous fall day, the perfect kind of day to spend outside. That crispness in the air lasted until almost noon, and it will be back by suppertime. The sun has me squinting, so I flick my aviator sunglasses open and slide them on.I can’t remember the last time I spent so much time outdoors. It’s invigorating.
Anticipation makes my skin feel taut all over as I head over to the fenced-in training area. I love being around the horses. I’ve missed having them at Dawson Ranch. If I can get into Sawyer’s good graces, maybe she’ll let me come by and help with the horses more often. I remind myself to be on my best behavior today as I search for Sawyer.
I find her in the stable, tacking up Luci, and approach them with care. The horse’s nostrils flare, but he tolerates her cinching the straps.
She looks my way, that ever-present smirk on her lips as though she finds something about me being here funny. “Hey, city boy.”
The nickname rankles and I can’t help but spit out a reply. “When are you gonna knock it off with that city boy shit, Red? I haven’t looked like a city boy since my second day being here.”
She looks me up and down, her eyes snagging on my Stetson before continuing their perusal down to the cowboy boots on my feet. She steps into my space, and my breath catches as she snatches my hand from my side. I hiss through my teeth as she flips it over and brushes her thumb gently over the blisters decorating my palm.My heart kicks up in mychest at her soft touch, and I swallow down the sudden burst of desire burning through me like tinder that just found a spark.
She licks her lips, and then her blue gaze finds mine, a hint of fire dancing behind it as she backs up a step. “Once all the blisters turn into callouses, then maybe I’ll consider a new nickname.”
I cock a brow and station my hands on my hips. “You’re sort of a ballbuster, you know that?”
She smirks at me again, and those blue eyes light with humor. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Just wait until you start helping me train.”
“Can’t wait,” I mutter.
I say it, and I mean it. Something about going head-to-head with Sawyer Addams is positively enthralling. I can’t get enough of it. And while she might still despise me, I'm eager to spend more time with this woman who doles out insults like Mrs. Mackey doles out baked goods.
“Again,” Sawyer says.
She’s been on top of Luci for all of five minutes and he’s already tried to toss her from his back when I brought out the noisemakers Sawyer had set out for today’s training. She kept her cool and got him calmed down, but I’m not eager to do something that might make her get thrown.
“Are you sure about this, Red?”
